Students begin training at Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport

The first set of students have begun training at Toowoomba's new airport, with the head of an aviation training school hoping to tap into emerging Asian markets to attract new business.

An education precinct opened at the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport on Monday, with about 20 local aircraft maintenance and aviation students beginning classes at the Airline Academy of Australia.

The Airline Academy of Australia aviation students at the Wellcamp Airport

Photo: Stan Carter

The 100-year-old academy is based at Archerfield Airport, but director Craig Duncan said the school was on the lookout for new students and he hoped the new Wellcamp centre could built its capacity to more than 1000.

"We're starting off with the local market and then look international. There's no limit on the number of students we can train," he said.

Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport pilot student Nilwani Bishop

Photo: Stan Carter

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"Over the next 20 years, 533,000 new commercial airline pilots and 584,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed to fly and maintain the world's fleet."

While declining to say exactly how much the new training centre cost, Mr Duncan said the investment was "substantial".

"Our staff are either living here or have moved here. The facility is fantastic. Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport could not be better for our training needs.

"The training area is right off off the end of the strip, it's a great climate, there's a very supportive local community."

Academy planes lined up on the runway at Wellcamp Airport

Photo: Stan Carter

He said the first phase of the centre would be theory-based, before hangars were set up for practical aircraft training.

While 2014 was a difficult year for global aviation with the two Malaysia Airlines incidents and other high-profile crashes, Mr Duncan said demand for pilots in the Asia-Pacific region was growing.

"There are 30 new pilots needed a day in the Asia-Pacific. Last year it was 28," he said.

The training program at the airport is being run in conjunction with the University of Southern Queensland.

The Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport opened in 2014 and is located about 140 kilometres west of the CBD.

The private airport, which was built by the Wagner family, is used by regional airlines QANTASLink and REX.